Free Republic

Satirical news program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart aired a segment Monday night poking fun at supporters at political rallies, including the Oct. 14 rally in Scranton for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Correspondent John Oliver is seen interviewing several Republican supporters from the Scranton rally, who express the false belief that Mr. Obama is a Muslim. The segment also features a rally elsewhere for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee. One unidentified woman wearing a "Scranton (loves) Sarah" shirt is shown saying about Mr. Obama: "I think he's going to put a turban on, and he's going...

We just got word that the studio is in full lock down mode. After all, Jon barely escaped his previous interview with this tax-and-spend terrorist of the center-left alive. http://blog.indecision2008.com/2008/10/28/barack-obama-to-appear-on-the-daily-show-wednesday/

MTV Networks/Viacom today joined the growing number of business leaders signing onto the Equality Business Advisory Council to show their opposition to Proposition 8. Prop 8 would eliminate the fundamental right of same-sex couples to marry in California by amending the state's Constitution. "On November 4th, Californians have the unique opportunity to go to the polls and stand up for what makes this a great country and a free society -- inclusivity, freedom and respect for all. Proposition 8 is antithetical to those principles and a vote for ignorance, hatred and inequality," said Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO, MTV Networks....

After his own personal mini-meltdown caused him to sell some of his shareholdings in CBS and Viacom, Sumner Redstone said this week that the situation is under control and that he won't be selling any more. Meanwhile, media wags are still handicapping whether one or both of the companies he controls might end up in play. But whatever happens next, Redstone's travails are a clear reminder of how a media mogul's controlling stake in his companies can become bad for business, and for stockholders, particularly when there are two classes of shares involved. [Snip] Just in the past five months,...

Sumner Redstone has filed for divorce from his wife of five years, Paula Fortunato, citing irreconcilable differences. The court papers were submitted Friday, Oct. 17, in Los Angeles Superior Court. The two were married in April 2003. The couple's prenuptial agreement stipulates that the 46-year-old Fortunato will receive at least $5 million, or $1 million for each year that she has been wed to the media mogul, according to people who are familiar with terms of the couple's agreement. Redstone, 85, has been telling friends for weeks that his marriage to Fortunato, 46, was ending. But despite the divorce filing...

I was digging around Nickelodeon's website with my son and stumbled on the kids vote section. I was curious if anyone else noticed the letter "O" in the word vote on this page. Is this curiously close to Obama's "O" or is it just me? Just curious if anyone else thinks Nick might be attempting to brainwash our little ones. P.S. This is the first time I have authored a post so forgive me if I did something wrong.

SUMNER TAKES A FALL By PETER LAURIA October 11, 2008 -- Sumner Redstone had his own Black Friday yesterday. All three of the companies Redstone controls - National Amusements Inc., CBS, and Viacom - took hits as a result of the credit crunch. The most ominous move - and one that raised concerns that Redstone might be experiencing liquidity issues - came from movie theater operator National Amusements, which is being forced to sell $400 million of stock in Viacom and CBS to meet debt-covenant agreements. The sale will reduce Redstone's combined stakes in Viacom and CBS by 20 percent...

Russell Brand seemed a little out of place as the host at the MTV Video Music Awards. Not because he's British or relatively unknown in America, as most of the chatter was about before Sunday night's show from Los Angeles. It was because Brand injected the VMAs with blunt politics, self deprecation, unabashed sexuality, and, yes, plenty of off-color remarks. Didn't he know where he was? The VMAs? In La-La Land? No, this was no place to voice anything like an opinion on world affairs or joke about young Christian pop stars. This is a place to look cool and...

UK stand-up comedian Russell Brand hosted the 2008 MTV VMA's. He attacked the Palin family and George W. Bush, while pleading to audience members to vote Obama.

Reader M.G. writes that the MTV Awards show was the latest venue for vicious Palin family-bashing: “I know a few people at Viacom and I tuned in to see the MTV music awards tonight. I was disgusted and appalled when the British host Russell Brand started begging America to vote for Barack Obama. Like his opinion matters. He’s not even a citizen. What’s worse is that he attacked Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter. He made a snide joke that her baby was not a boy or a girl, but a P.R. stunt.” MTV, of course, is a division of left-wing media...

A U.S. judge's order to Google Inc to turn over YouTube user data to Viacom Inc sparked an outcry on Thursday from privacy advocates in the midst of a legal showdown over video piracy. Viacom, owner of movie studio Paramount and MTV Networks, requested the information as part of its $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against the popular online video service and its deep-pocketed parent, Google. Judge Louis Stanton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered Google on Tuesday to turn over as evidence a database with usernames of YouTube viewers, what videos they...

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge in New York has ordered Google to turn over to Viacom a database linking users of YouTube, the Web’s largest video site by far, with every clip they have watched there. The order raised concerns among users and privacy advocates that the online video viewing habits of tens of millions of people could be exposed. But Google and Viacom said they were hoping to come up with a way to protect the anonymity of YouTube viewers. Viacom said that the information would be safeguarded by a protective order restricting access to the data to...

Google must divulge the viewing habits of every user who has ever watched any video on YouTube, a US court has ruled.The ruling comes as part of Google's legal battle with Viacom over allegations of copyright infringement. Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called the ruling a "set-back to privacy rights". The viewing log, which will be handed to Viacom, contains the log-in ID of users, the computer IP address (online identifier) and video clip details. While the legal battle between the two firms is being contested in the US, it is thought the ruling will apply to...

NEW YORK - A $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit over YouTube's ability to keep copyrighted material off its popular video-sharing site threatens how hundreds of millions of people exchange all kinds of information on the Internet, owner Google Inc. said. The company's lawyers made the claim in papers filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan as Google responded to Viacom Inc.'s latest lawsuit alleging that the Internet has led to "an explosion of copyright infringement" by YouTube and others. The back-and-forth between the companies has intensified since Viacom brought its lawsuit last year, saying it was owed damages for the...

The youth vote is rockin' if not rollin'. Young voters who blog -- and there are lots of them -- boast they're the voting bloc that's hot. "Young voters are the new pink," a Rock the Vote blogger shouts. "Or the new orange? The new indigo?" They're like that little black dress, always poised to save the moment. The Obama campaign boasts that it registered thousands of new young voters. Hillary had her "Hillblazers," cheered on by daughter Chelsea, and John McCain says he'll contest every youth vote in November. Why else would he stay up late to joke and...

A planned fourth pay-TV channel could leave CBS' Showtime without movies. Viacom, Lions Gate Entertainment and MGM announced that they will no longer sell their movies to Showtime and instead will launch a new, fourth pay-TV channel. The announcement leaves Showtime, the current owner of rights to films from Viacom, Lions Gate and MGM, without the rights to output from any of the major movie studios. This move would affect many companies in the entertainment industry, including the owners of the current pay-TV services, Time Warner (HBO and Cinemax) and Liberty Entertainment (Starz and Encore). Time Warner would also be...

Top 20 Countdown host Lance Smith joins the cast of Stop-Loss, on top of the famous Riot Hyatt hotel overlooking Sunset Boulevard for a special edition of Top 20. The movie features Iraq war hero Sgt. Brandon King, who is played by Ryan Phillippe, as he makes his long awaited return home only to find out the Army has ordered him back to duty in Iraq, which devastates not only him but his family and friends.

Billboard owner bars ad targeting McCain Arizona Republic, The (Phoenix, AZ) April 21, 2005 BILLBOARD OWNER BARS AD TARGETING MCCAIN Author: Jon Kamman, The Arizona Republic Edition: Final Chaser; Section: Front; Page: A13; Index Terms: ARIZONA; Estimated printed pages: 3 Article Text: A national organization that campaigns against illegal immigration wants to post a billboard in Phoenix to object to Sen. John McCain's stance, but the owner of the board has rejected the message as "bashing" the Arizona Republican. The ad, sponsored by ProjectUSA, would say: "Sen. John McCain supports amnesty for illegal aliens." Whether those words are factual depends...

A book publisher that bought an ad on Don Imus's radio show is suing the shock jock and his former bosses at CBS Radio for more than $4 million, saying Imus insulted the book he was paid to promote. It was the latest controversy to follow the radio personality, who was fired by CBS Radio in April 2007 for insulting a women's basketball team with a racial slur. He has since returned to the air with another network. Flatsigned Press said in a New York state court lawsuit filed late on Wednesday that Imus' show had agreed to a script...

BRITNEY Spears' pregnant sister Jamie Lynn has been hit by news that her TV show has been cancelled, due to network bosses' concerns that airing it could "send out the wrong message".